Government nudge unit ‘used grossly unethical tactics to scare public into Covid compliance’
MPs launch investigation after psychologists criticise totalitarian tactics of ‘deploying fear, shame and scapegoating’ during pandemic
Of course the government deployed fear, shame and scapegoating during the pandemic. It's the standard social compliance approach and has been for decades. Employing psychologists to justify it is another standard approach - rope in some experts to show that we haven't just dreamed it up ourselves. All obvious enough from the beginning of the lockdown caper because we've seen it before.
The new Highway Code is likely to be linked with a long term aim of nudging car drivers off the road. Make it less and less appealing. There is a certain amount of fear, shame and scapegoating in that too. Aimed at motorists of course, but standard stuff.
4 comments:
Of a town near us WKPD reports: in 1381 during the Great Uprising, the abbey was sacked and looted again. This time, the Prior was executed; his severed head was placed on a pike in the Great Market.
So there's precedent.
The very idea of the government getting involved in "nudging" people seems inherently unwholesome. I guess the idea comes from advertising and the insights gained from Social Psychology on how to influence people. But in a democracy, politicians should just rely on open persuasion. If it's not in the manifesto, they shouldn't be trying to get us to do it.
Far from not nudging motorists off the road some of the new rules will cause cyclists to be nudged off the road - literally. Maybe that's the intent, to create yet another division.
dearieme - we need some pikes.
Sam - yes it does seem inherently unwholesome. It contains the assumption that debate is irrelevant and even harms good government which is barely one step away from totalitarian government.
Andy - it's bound to create a division, or make the existing division worse. It could even lead to a tragedy.
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